Hello friends, greetings! How was your weekend? Hope it was great! It's a new week, so I bring you a new crop.
Today, I'll like to share with you about plantain from our farm, how you can grow your own plantain at your backyard and probably a little tip about how you can convert your harvested plantain to tasty foods😂
As usual, before we go to the farm, let us briefly learn about the importance of plantain to us. What do I gain from plantain in my diet? Plantain is a food that is extremely rich in carbohydrates and some other essential nutrients. It is a good source of quick energy, and is great for your overall health. For more information about the nutrients profile of plantain, please consult a nutritionist, and let this farmer be about his farming business... 💪😂
Are you ready for serious business? Let's get going....I'll try to be as brief as possible.
Having your own plantain plantation, involves the following agronomic practices:
Site Selection
Select a soil with high fertility and an excellent water retention capacity, preferably, a clayey-loam.
Land Preparation
This involves bush clearing and tree felling. Trees must be removed or at least killed because plantain won't do well under shade. This can be achieved through chemical or mechanical means. Land cultivation may not be necessary.
Sourcing of Suckers
Plantain is propagated by suckers, which can be found underground, at the base of the plantain trunks. Get your suckers from a reliable source, so as to get a satisfactory harvest.
Suckers can be multiplied by cutting them systematically and burying them under a moist condition, in a nursery, after which the little sprouts can be transplanted to the field.
Planting
About 30cm deep holes, spaced at about 7ft apart should be made, and your suckers should be planted in them. This must be done when the rain is well established, so as to avoid losing your suckers because of drought.
Weeding
Weeding should be done when you deem it fit, either mechanically or chemically.
Staking
Staking may or may not be necessary, depending on the heaviness of your fruit bunches. If you observe that the fruit is too heavy for the trunk to carry, you can be a little kind by providing support. Your plantain will forever be grateful to you for that, you know!...😍...and you will be saving yourself from losses as well.
Thinning
Thinning may be done if you observe an overcrowding. Plantains are fond of producing multiple 'children' as they grow, so you must be ready to help them with proper 'family planning' (thinning), else your yield would be negatively impacted. It is good to leave just 2 or 3 plants per stand.
Harvesting
This is done about a year after planting. It is important to know when the fruit is fully matured for harvest. Normally, we harvest by cutting off the bunch with a cutlass and we keep it in a warm room to ripen the fruits.
Processing
Just a little about processing... 🤓
Ripe plantain can be eaten raw or fried to make what we call 'dodo', something quiet tasty and nutritious.
Dodo
image source
Unripe plantain can be cut and dried to make plantain flour, a food recommended, most times, for diabetic patients.
Don't forget plantain chips, something your children will appreciate! 💪😍
Now tell me why you shouldn't have your own plantain plantation next season? I really wish you give it a try.
Thanks for reading, commenting and upvoting. God bless you for me.